Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

17 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

up with Australian ads though. 

During last years England cricket tour of Pakistan we got the Pakistani sponsor messages. They were were “voiced” by the usual commentators so it was quite funny hearing David Gower promoting washing machines or tea.  

[Ozexpatriate]

8 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

wintery mid 20s

Those words don't belong together. Not even "chilly mid-20s".

 

"Vernal mid-20s" perhaps.

 

We're headed for a (slightly above average) high of 9°C which here is called "mild". 

[Ozexpatriate]

14 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Though that would make a change from the ubiquitous US pharmaceutical ads - (that seem to be one quarter spruiking the product and three quarters  listing the side effects...)

Yes, actors portraying the afflicted living their best lives with jaunty background music while the voiceover says "may cause death". Lately they're literally all colour-coordinated with the promotional colours in the marketing campaign.

 

Their highest broadcast concentration is during the early evening network news - presumably that's the 'dying demographic'.

[Tony_S]

1 minute ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Their highest broadcast concentration is during the early evening network news - presumably that's the 'dying demographic'.

I hope the junk mail our nice postie has been leaving recently (along with interesting parcels) is random and not targeted. There seem to have been a few ads for pre paid funeral plans  through the letterbox. 

[monkeysarefun]

16 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

It feels like the telephone has been ringing all day. Three times a robocall from the pharmacy informed me (or tried to) that they filled a script.  I need to get them to turn that off. On balance it's far more annoying than useful.

 

The day started with a robocall from a credit card provider telling me to download their mobile app to view a denied charge. Nope.  Or call a telephone number, which I did. *Someone* charged my card at 1:30am local time when I was tucked in and headed off to the land of nod after watching tennis and a little late night television. The charge will be 'disputed'.

 

Lately I've only used that card (coincidentally) at the pharmacy (of the annoying robocalls). It hasn't been used for an online transaction since a cancelled hotel stay as the pandemic shut-down began. *Someone* used it to purchase an iPad many years ago. It's the only card I've had that needed replacement based on demonstrated fraudulent activity.

 

 

 

 My landline phone hand  set (which rarely gets legitimately used these days, but its good to have as an emergency, though less so now  that its digital and so in power cuts I lose the router, but anyway....) was playing up.

 

A mate works for Telstra and offered me a freebie one of their own landline setups that customers have knocked back at install time because they have their own handsets etc. Anyways, I gave one a go.

 

As a piece of consumer designware its a bit of a fail, the buttons have a slight squishy cheap plastic feel and I don't like the oversized font on the keys, or the key layout BUT it has this thing called Call Guardian.

 

If a number thats not in my white list (made up of my contacts list and previously accepted calls)  calls me they get a response saying "Please state your name" before the phone rings at my end. The call will not progress to ringing me until they do. If they do say their name then it rings me and when I pick up the phone it  will say "You have a call from X" and I can decide whether to accept it (press 1)  or block it and put it in my blacklist (press 2).

 

If they dont say their name (which Robo callers wont, nor most scammers) the phone never even rings me. Result is zero robo calls since install  (I almost wrote Robbo call there, I have a workmate called Robbo who sometimes calls me at work , I'll have to think of THEM  as Robbo calls now...) and much reduced  begging calls from charities etc (which I can still block by pressing button 2  when the phone tells me who it is.)

 

.

 

[Gwiwer]

29 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

34 degrees today

A friend reported that it was 35C locally today.  That's in Sunbury, Vic, Australia.  

I mentioned that it was 35F here which he thought was too cold to get out of bed for.

I suggested he tell me when it reached 35K and whether or not that might be a bit too parky!  

[Ozexpatriate]

3 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

it has this thing called Call Guardian

Back when caller ID meant something* the local telephone provider offered a (extra fee) 'no soliciting' service where a recorded "this line does not accept soliciting calls, please state your name" message played before the telephone rang.  A colleague had this at home. The service is probably still offered.

 

* Now largely moot with the advent of VOIP

[monkeysarefun]

39 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I hope the junk mail our nice postie has been leaving recently (along with interesting parcels) is random and not targeted. There seem to have been a few ads for pre paid funeral plans  through the letterbox. 

 

Every Australian town and suburb has a Bowling Club ("The Bowlo").  Every Australian spends 55 years deriding lawnbowls before overnight suddenly making a Road To Damascus style conversion and from then on spending every spare moment for the rest of their lives  at The Bowlo  playing lawn bowls.

 

  All the benches, beer coasters, hand-towels, pens etc at every The Bowlo  have ads on them for Funeral Insurance, Will Makers, Funeral Companies.. 

 

 They really do rub it in. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Winslow Boy]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

Bear back......

 

Remember those wise words of @Winslow Boy (a.k.a. Jonah 🤣) earlier........

 

 

- well soon after a certain Bear 'umped the stuff from the muddlin' room into the Hallway/Stairs ready for collection by the Ebay purchaser I get a phone call......

The purchaser was to buy/collect an Estate car nearby earlier but it turned out not to be what he'd hoped, so that all went pear-shaped; this in turn screwed up collection of Bear's stuff.  Piggin' Turdycurses.

However, the good news is the buyer was making all the right noises (including offering to pay up front and collect in a week or two) so all is not lost after all; it could actually benefit Bear as well 😉 (know worri mean Puppers..... @PupCam).

 

In other news.....

It seems the Met have today held a Misconduct Hearing in order to sack a certain PC who is sure to be scoffin' Porridge (hopefully thru' a straw) for a very long time; the hearing included the Met. Assist. Commissioner and the Counsel for the Commissioner - no doubt there was also a full suite of Flunkies present also.

Is Bear missing something here??  Bearing in mind the scrote is gonna be banged up for rather a long time (TBD) then what's wrong with the HR Dept. simply sending a letter addressed to sick weirdo, telling him he's sacked and to F.O. forthwith.  A lot cheaper - and it'd mean those present could be actually doing something useful instead - like stopping such things from happening again ....

Yep, Rant.

 

 

 

 

Yes Bear that would what me and you plus the rest of ER's for that matter, would do, but the head honcho plus flunkies wouldn't then be seen would they.

 

Being seen to do things is more important than actually doing them now a days Bear.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. 

1 minute ago, Tony_S said:

I hope the junk mail our nice postie has been leaving recently (along with interesting parcels) is random and not targeted. There seem to have been a few ads for pre paid funeral plans  through the letterbox. 

About time I started thinking about my funeral. There is a company called cheap cremations which sounds as if it lives up to its name. I'll probably end up with the Co-op. There is a 'green' cemetery not far from here at Dunton but I gather it is rather expensive.

[Coombe Barton]

... I’ve heard of a tribute band, and Tribute Ale, from Cornwall, but the university catering contractors at our away day today paid tribute to British Rail by providing crispy edged sandwiches. ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/01/17/steeply-downwards-heading-lower-than-in-the-summer-but-china-economic-outlook-uncertain/

[Ozexpatriate]

4 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

There is a 'green' cemetery

What constitutes a 'green' cemetery in the UK? Sustainable 'caskets'? (Like wicker or cardboard?)

 

It is now legal in Oregon for one's remains to be composted. The whole sustainable funerary market will likely grow quickly. (No pun intended.)

[polybear]

15 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

.........BUT it has this thing called Call Guardian.

 

If a number thats not in my white list (made up of my contacts list and previously accepted calls)  calls me they get a response saying "Please state your name" before the phone rings at my end. The call will not progress to ringing me until they do. If they do say their name then it rings me and when I pick up the phone it  will say "You have a call from X" and I can decide whether to accept it (press 1)  or block it and put it in my blacklist (press 2).

 

If they dont say their name (which Robo callers wont, nor most scammers) the phone never even rings me. Result is zero robo calls since install  (I almost wrote Robbo call there, I have a workmate called Robbo who sometimes calls me at work , I'll have to think of THEM  as Robbo calls now...) and much reduced  begging calls from charities etc (which I can still block by pressing button 2  when the phone tells me who it is.)

 

.

 

 

The same system is available in the UK.

Bear can block calls and add then to a blocked list (that's a handset function and nothing to do with the phone provider); the annoying thing is the phone still rings when a blocked caller phones though (the display shows BLOCKED) - I'd rather it stayed silent.

[PhilJ W]

Just now, Ozexpatriate said:

What constitutes a 'green' cemetery in the UK? Sustainable 'caskets'? (Like wicker or cardboard?)

 

It is now legal in Oregon for one's remains to be composted. The whole sustainable funerary market will likely grow quickly. (No pun intended.)

All I know about it is a signpost pointing down a country road. Usually it is the wicker or cardboard caskets that are used.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

Was it your own vehicle or a company one?

 

Let me guess the Bearmabile.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Winslow Boy
Beaten by the Bear

[monkeysarefun]

21 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

All I know about it is a signpost pointing down a country road. Usually it is the wicker or cardboard caskets that are used.

There's a waiting list here if you want to donate your body to the Body Farm.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-12/forensic-scientists-at-body-farm-overwhelmed-by-number-of-donors/8520058

 

[Winslow Boy]

Further to my earlier post. I now wish to know who I complain to about there being no snow.

 

I have a feeling that the inhabitants of Fraggle Rock have nicked it all for them selves. Oh NewHavenNeil give us our snow.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Winslow Boy

[Winslow Boy]

24 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

All I know about it is a signpost pointing down a country road. Usually it is the wicker or cardboard caskets that are used.

 

Not always. It's usually in a non dominon landscaped area with trees, but  not always, used to indicate a burial spot. I had a relative who had a green burial and non religious service.

[PupCam]

53 minutes ago, polybear said:

The same system is available in the UK.

Bear can block calls and add then to a blocked list (that's a handset function and nothing to do with the phone provider); the annoying thing is the phone still rings when a blocked caller phones though (the display shows BLOCKED) - I'd rather it stayed silent.

 

Ah! That explains why I can never get through 🤣

 

I'm on a list at last!   Small acorns ....

[pH]

On 14/01/2023 at 05:55, Coombe Barton said:

The Kraken is a legendary gargantuan sea creature, said to have been seen off the coasts of Norway and Iceland ...

I saw this on the cover of a children’s book this morning:

 

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

The same system is available in the UK.

Bear can block calls and add then to a blocked list (that's a handset function and nothing to do with the phone provider); the annoying thing is the phone still rings when a blocked caller phones though (the display shows BLOCKED) - I'd rather it stayed silent.

Yeah I know, you've shown us a picture of your setup in action before.

 

 

 

[andyram]

Evening one and all. I hope you are well. Thanks to those who posted the snow pictures. It always looks great when you don't have to put up with the inconvenience the white stuff can cause! We escaped much of it in this part of Derbyshire, although it clearly hit the higher parts of the county. Once again there was the strange sight in Matlock Bath under the winter sunshine. Nothing at road and river levels (including customers!!) but wonderful white covered trees and houses on the hills overlooking the village. Four and a half years after opening up there, I have still not got used to how the weather changes up there in just a short distance!

 

One thing I seem to have got used to is the shop climate and there were less layers of clothes required today. Perhaps that was due to the small number of times the door opened for visitors! It kept the heat in!

 

A short time was spent on photographing and filming the layout for the next shop update video on Youtube - the link to the earlier January one is provided below if anyone is interested. Oscar standard it certainly ain't!!!

 

 

Today's efforts produced this little photographic effort. Train alert!!!

[TheQ]

Evening Awl,

Na sna here either, but several other club members from a little more inland reported a small white layer this morning.

Twas snowing in the club house too.... Oh no, they were just cutting polystyrene.

 

I did have to de ice the Landrover windscreen inside and out both for the trip there and the return.

Tis -2 C out there at the moment.

 

I have experienced water in the waveguide, most radars use dried lighty compressed air, some use nitrogen, in their wave guides. But not all, those that have a pressurised system have alarms for leaks of course.

This one didn't have a pressurised system so no alarm, it didn't have much water in, what had happened was the mica window at the waveguide horn had failed, so allowing dampness. This causes arcing in the waveguides and all-sorts of random transmission and reception problems. The solution was to first remove the mica window remains, involving lots of little Allen key screws, clean the end surfaces and any thing you could reach, break the wave guide junction further down to allow any water out, pass dry cloths through on a weighted bit of string, redo the bottom joint, then replace the window.

 

The Aforementioned Type 85 technicians used water because their waveguides needed it in jackets round them in some places.. well it did have 12 klystrons transmitting 4 to 5 Mega Watts at the same time. The klystrons themselves were water cooled as well.

The rotating joints / slip rings / connections on the T85 were in a pressurised chamber beneath the aerial about 3 house stories high, it took many hours to depressurise so they  could go in and clean / replace contacts, I had a look in once but didn't actually go in, it even more hours to repressurise and circulate the clean dry air.

 

As for the MRC, more landscape gardening including planting rocks, real Minature ones. Next week I need some hairspray for Heather.. I need to make sure she doesn't come unstuck from the layout.

It was one of those days where a little more work showed a great step forward in the scenic appearance.

 

Goodnight Awl...

Edited January 17, 2023 by TheQ

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

We had some snow today, but I doubt we had 1mm of the stuff! If the snow that was falling was rain, it would have been a light drizzle, anyway, it was all gone by dinner time. 

 

I’ve spent most of the day inside, although I have made several trips to both the workshop and the shed. Putting some items back and bring also bring some items out to put into the cellar. 

 

My Tiger Moth is almost complete and as my next aircraft subject will be a Supermarine Walrus and I’d like to display on water! So, I thought I’d have ago at making a 3D seascape. This is a first for me, but recently I’ve watched a few YouTube videos to see how it’s done and this afternoon I gave it a go. I’ve used a small piece of polystyrene packaging (never throw anything way) for the base, onto which I’ve roughly carved some wave forms onto. It’s then covered with crumpled tissue paper, this is in turn covered with some watered down PVA glue. It’s currently sitting on the cellar windowsill drying out. I’m quite pleased with how it’s gone so far, but I’ll get a better idea how things are once I’ve painted it, I’ll post some photos when it’s finished. As usual, I made a bit too much PVA mix, so with the left overs, I thought I’ll practice my ballasting, so I set about putting some on my test track, I’d managed about 4ft before I ran out of glue. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by BSW01